


Glass Hearts

by ServantOfMischief



Series: Rise, Fall, Then Rise Again [2]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Character Death, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Healthy Relationships, Hospitalization, Kidnapping, Past Abuse, Physical Abuse, Slice of Life, Uta is a good dad, protective Uta, wow the tags are all over the place
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24076444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ServantOfMischief/pseuds/ServantOfMischief
Summary: Uta is introduced to a whole new world when a half-brother he never knew about suddenly appears on his doorstep. In the meantime, Rei's nightmares come back to haunt her.
Relationships: Uta (Tokyo Ghoul)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Rise, Fall, Then Rise Again [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1384621
Comments: 21
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Even as she lay in bed, Rei can’t quite stop her mind from running over with questions of what happened earlier that day, from the surprise that had been sprung on Uta, and coincidentally her, from the man claiming to be Uta’s half-brother.

The son of the woman who abandoned Uta in her own mother’s living-room without as a much as a note with any reason why. The surprise both Rei and Uta felt when he introduced himself had been very clear to him. And apparently the man had not suspected anything else either. All in all, Rei, despite never giving the woman much thought, isn’t surprised that she had started over at some point in her life. Rei does wonder though, if the woman knows her younger son has sought his older brother out.

Furuta Nimura Souta knows Uta from somewhere, has the woman told him herself? Rei turns her head to look at Uta. He’s turned away from her, so all she can see is his back. At least he seems to be sleeping well, considering the rhythmic breathing. When Furuta left after Uta agreed to meet with him when they both had a day off, Rei had worried that he’d be out of it. She didn’t want him working the furnace if he was unfocused, but he’d brushed her concerns away.

_“I’m fine.”_ He had said, and he had seemed fine when he came home from his shop too, didn’t seem like anything had been bothering him, so she hadn’t pressed the issue, but as she lays there restless in bed she wonders how he might truly be feeling. Uta is excellent at hiding his troubles, so Rei wouldn’t be surprised if he has some issue with this. She sighs and turns, and turns and _turns_ , but she can’t get comfortable. She resigns herself to being awake for a while longer and slips out of bed, heading to the kitchen and fill the kettle with water.

Tea might help, she thinks. At least it might make her sleepy enough to fall asleep whether or not she’s comfortable. She’s halfway down the cup when she hears steps. She looks up and sees her husband enter the room.

“Can’t sleep?” He asks and she shakes her head.

“No. Why are you up?”

“Your side of the bed was empty.” He shrugs and takes a seat by the table. In the past, her not being in bed is usually caused by nightmares she’d try and bury, and perhaps he thinks this time is the same.

“What keeps you up?”

“You, I think?” He blinks, surprised, before smirking and lounging back in his seat.

“Really?”

“Oh get your head out of the gutter.” She rolls her eyes and sips at her tea. The smirk fades and he lean over the table, tilting his head curiously.

“What’s wrong, Rei?”

“Are you okay, Uta?” He blinks again, taken aback by her question. She realizes that perhaps she is simply overthinking things, as she has been wont to do. She asks anyway, just to be absolutely sure.

“With finding out you have a brother, I mean.” The dark-haired man takes some time to ponder about it a bit, to show Rei that he does actually take this seriously and isn’t just tackling the whole situation as if it isn’t anything special.

Because it is.

“Well,” he begins, humming, “I think, in all honesty, that it’s nice, really. You know, knowing I have a younger brother.”

“And your mom?”

“What about her?”

“What do you think of her?”

“Rei, I’ve never once met the woman. She left me a week old at granny’s place. I have no opinion of her, good or bad. If she had stayed long enough for me to remember, maybe I would feel something.” He shrugs.

“I see.” She finishes her tea and sets the cup down. She’s inclined to believe him, she’s got no reason not to anyway. She’s still not sleepy though, and she looks up, resting her head in the palm of her hand, just staring at him until he raises a brow.

“I still want another.” She says impishly and he snorts before standing up and walking around the table, long fingers wrapping around her wrist before he pulls her up from her seat.

“What my lady wants, my lady gets.” He says dramatically, as if this is all a great big chore, and she laughs as he crouches down and hoists her over his shoulder, feet kicking out playfully as she slaps his back.

“I can walk!” She laughs as he trots back to the bedroom.

The next morning Uta’s seated in front of the mirror in the bathroom, Rei working over his hair with a pair of scissors. The woman points out how weird it’ll be to see Uta with short hair again, after all these years with him wearing it long and his eyes narrow slightly in the mirror.

“Are you calling me old?”

“Don’t be silly, that would be like calling myself old.” She teases as she moves to let the pinned-up hair on the left side of his head down but pauses to let her fingers brush by the shaved part, asking if he’s going to keep the undercut or let it grow out in the end. He shrugs and she continues to cut until the dark strands are just barely brushing over the nape of his neck. She blows the lose hairs away with a hairdryer and pulls on the edges gently to make sure that the cut is even all the way through.

“What do you think?”

“I like it.” Uta pulls on his bangs, the only part Rei let stay long. He does like it, it is actually about time he changed his style.

“I’m going to miss playing with it. You look good with curls.” Rei sighs before pulling the cape off of him with a flourish. It’s a real mess on the floor, but they’ll get that cleaned up quickly.

“Perhaps Chouko won’t recognize you when she comes back.” He shoots her a look at her teasing.

“Don’t joke about that.” He mutters and she bites her lower lip to keep from chuckling. There are still a few more days left until Chouko will come home, but Uta has made an appointment with Furuta, and he’s off to see his half-brother the moment the mess is cleaned up.

“Call if you need anything.” She tells him as he heads out the door with a wave and a small smile. She told him to call, but her phone buzzes to life and Tsumugi’s number flashes across the screen.

“Hello?”

“ _Mommy!”_

“Chouko!” Rei exclaims, happy to hear from her daughter. The girl proceeds to tell her mother excitedly what she and her great-grandmother have been doing. She keeps her mother entertained with her chattering for hours, and then suddenly Uta is home. There’s a look in his eyes that makes her worried, and she hands him the phone with a small smile, hoping that whatever has brought him to feel down, a chat with his daughter will cheer him up.

“It’s Chouko. Talk with her a bit, yeah?” She says quietly and he nods, pulling the phone up to his ear and allows Rei to pull him to rest against her.

“Hey there, princess.” He says and waits a bit, the muffled sound of Chouko’s voice can be heard. “I see, I see. You’re having a blast with great-gran, huh? That’s great. Hey, can I talk to her for a bit? Thank you.” Uta doesn’t tell Tsumugi much of what has happened the last few days, only that he’s met someone she needs to meet too, and that when she comes back with Chouko he’s got a whole lot more to tell her.

“Shouldn’t you have told her who Furuta-san is?” Rei questions when Uta ends the call and drops the phone onto the table.

“I doubt she’d want to meet him if I did. She won’t make a scene in front of Chouko.” Uta says airily and Rei frowns.

“What’s wrong Uta?”

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to feel about what I was told today?” He answers and she runs her fingers through his hair the way he likes while the other wraps around his shoulders..

“What were you told?” Rei asks gently and Uta wraps his hands around the arm she’s got around him.

“My birthmother is dying.”


	2. Chapter 2

Uta takes the next few days off from work at Rei’s insistence, despite him telling her that he is alright. Even though he doesn’t know the woman, the news he has been given are affecting him in some way, and Rei will not have him run himself to the ground in an effort not to think about it. Or hurt himself because of carelessness. When Chouko and Tsumugi return, the girl runs up to her parents and hugs them both tight. Uta tosses the girl up in the air as Rei grabs the girl’s bag from her great-grandmother.

“So, what’s so important you couldn’t tell me over the phone?” Tsumugi demands as Uta plays with his daughter and Rei chews on her bottom lip, unsure of how much _she_ should tell Tsumugi, when this is a conversation best had between her and Uta.

“A man named Washuu-Furuta Souta visited the day you came to pick up Chouko.” She says and Tsumugi frowns.

“Who’s that?”

“He’d like to meet you, but we want to be in a more private setting. Would that be okay with you, Tsumugi-san?” The old lady narrows her eyes at Rei, pursing her lips in suspicion.

“What are you being so careful about, girl?”

“Just say yes or no, granny. Don’t be difficult about it.” Uta says as he lifts Chouko up to sit on his shoulders. Tsumugi seems to be conflicted for a second or two before sighing and nodding. The trip back to the house is a quiet one, at least between the adults. Chouko doesn’t seem to catch onto the mood and keeps on chattering, tugging on her father’s suddenly short hair, commenting on it and wondering why he had cut it. Inside the house, as Chouko is sent off to unpack her bag, Rei brews Tsumugi some tea. She suspects the woman might need something calming. Rei certainly had after the revelation. She also brings out two cups of coffee for herself and Uta and a glass of juice for Chouko for when she’s done unpacking.

Just as she puts down the cups and glass, the doorbell rings. She moves to pour another cup of coffee as Uta answers. Chouko comes running out of her room, curious about who it is at the door. She clambers into her mother’s lap as Uta re-enters the living room with Souta behind him, and Tsumugi’s brows shoot to the top of her head at the sight of the other man.

“Granny, this is Washu-Furuta Souta. We’ve got the same mother.” The nonchalant way he just springs this upon his grandmother causes a shocked silence and Rei’s not sure if she wants to tell him off or just slink off into another room and hide there, but Chouko breaks the silence.

“You’re my uncle?” Souta shares a look with Uta before nodding, and the girl wriggles out of her mother’s grip and bounds over to stop in front of him to bow as politely as she can.

“I’m Yamagata Chouko!” She introduces herself, and the man returns the gesture.

“I’m Washuu-Furuta Souta. I’m very pleased to meet you.” Chouko beams at him, very happy with the circumstance, but Tsumugi heaves a deep breath before she speaks calmly, very calmly.

“Where’s the girl? Why isn’t she here?” And the fact that she refuses to speak her own daughters name might be a testament to how she feels about the entire situation she has been placed in in her own grandson’s home.

“Mother doesn’t know I’m here.” Souta answers quietly as he takes a seat. “She’s quite ill, and can’t leave the hospital.” Something flickers in Tsumugi’s eyes before she nods, and Rei can’t quite pinpoint the emotion she saw.

“I see.”

“I came because I wanted to meet my brother and to learn from where my mother came from. And to see if anyone is willing to meet her.” Rei keeps quiet as Chouko clambers back up on her lap, because this is between Souta, Uta and Tsumugi. Tsumugi doesn’t say much at first, only purse her lips in thought. It is Uta who breaks the silence.

“I’ll go.” His grandmother frowns, Rei sighs with something akin to relief, Chouko looks confused but Souta smiles gratefully.

“I think she’d appreciate that.”

“Would she now?” Tsumugi counters, nearly snapping. “If she doesn’t know you’re here, how well will she take it if you brought along the son she left behind to her?” Her words are cruel, are even meant to be, but underneath it all lies worry. If the woman is in the hospital for a bad health, how will she feel seeing Uta again?

“Granny.” Uta says and Chouko asks Rei what Tsumugi means, but Souta speaks up before any more can be said.

“Mother watched the trial over the news. She recorded it, kept playing it over and over again. When my father asked why, she wouldn’t tell him. When me and my siblings asked, she pointed at Uta-san.” Rei blinks and Tsumugi sighs.

“Stupid girl. She should have visited.” This time there is no anger in her voice, she only sounds tired. Rei wonders just how much Tsumugi may have been missing her own daughter, despite never mentioning her in their presence. Tsumugi had made it clear what she thought of people who left their children behind as carelessly as Uta had been. That may also have been the reason as to why Uta’s mother had never returned, because she was afraid of Tsumugi’s scorn. That’s a really sad thought.

“What is going on?” Chouko asks and Uta pulls the girl into his lap once he’s taken a seat by Rei.

“Adult stuff. I’m going to leave for a couple of days, and when I come back, I’ll have lots of new things to tell you.”

“Can’t I come with? Pretty please, daddy.”

“Then who’d watch over mommy?” He asks and Rei subtly rolls her eyes, though it’s a clever way to dissuade their daughter.

“Why can’t we all go together?”

“I have work, sweetie. I can’t leave.” Rei says apologetically as the girl pouts.

“And this is something I have to do alone.” Uta adds.

“But uncle Souta just asked us who wanted to come, and I want to come along!”

“He was asking me and granny.” Uta tells her firmly. “You can come along next time, alright?” In the end, Chouko has Uta pinky-promise her, and Rei wonders if that is truly alright, because just because Souta came to see if anyone was willing with meeting the woman, it doesn’t mean that she actually wants anyone there. Souta offers no argument against it though, so Rei doesn’t comment on it.

A couple of days later Uta is packing up to go to Kyoto. He doesn’t know how long he’ll stay, but Asa will take care of the shop while he’s away. He doesn’t expect he’ll stay very long, though. Just long enough to see his birthmother and say hello. To show that everything turned out okay, even if she never showed up. Rei questions this.

“I don’t see the point in staying too long. I’m just going to meet with her, I’m not planning on a huge family reunion.”

“And what about everyone else? Souta-san’s siblings? Aren’t you curious about them?” She asks curiously and he shrugs.

“Maybe, but they might not be all that curious about me.”

“Too bad for them, they’ll be missing out.” Uta laughs as he zips his bag and turns around, motioning for her to come over to him.

“Are you trying to boost my confidence?” He murmurs as he pulls her into a hug when she’s within reach. She mumbles something along the lines of not having to do such a thing, and he laughs again.

“Uta.” She pulls back long enough to look at him properly. “I won’t mind if you stay there for a while. This is important, even if you don’t want to acknowledge it in front of me.”

“It’s you and Chouko who are important.” He says firmly and she clasps his face in her hands.

“I mean it, Uta. We’ll be here, we’ll always be here. They may not.”


	3. Chapter 3

Uta calls every night, just before Chouko’s bedtime. He tells her charming stories over the phone each night that does more to excite her than lull her to sleep until Rei firmly pushes the girl into bed. Only then does he tell her actual bedtime stories. Once the girl is out for the night and Rei has turned off the lights in her room and closed the door behind her, she has her own conversations with Uta. Now it’s the fourth day since Uta left, and it’s come for Chouko to get ready for bed, and Rei takes the chance to have a conversation with Uta before Chouko is ready for bed.

“How are things on your end?”

“ _Everyone’s been very welcoming, except their father, but apparently none of them care much for him.”_ She’s both happy and sad to hear it. Happy that his half-siblings and their spouses have welcomed him and made him feel at ease, sad that their father is not doing his part in making the son of the woman he married feel welcome. Then again, Uta has never been particularly bothered by how people view him or think of him, so he has probably ignored the man and focused on the positive people.

“That’s good, well, somewhat. How is it, being surrounded by such a big family?”

“ _It’s… loud.”_ Uta answers, and she laughs. Having grown up with only his grandmother as family, being suddenly surrounded by such a crowd of people he’s related to must be incredibly weird.

“But it’s nice?”

“ _It’s nice. They’re all mostly half-siblings, you know.”_

“Seriously?” This makes Rei wonder how many wives the man has had before Uta’s biological mother.

_“Mhm. Apparently their father has remarried several times, and he absolutely refuses to acknowledge children he hasn’t ‘sired’ himself.”_ It is a disgusting thing, Rei thinks. And it’s sad that people marry such people if they already have children from before. If she and Uta should ever split for any reason, she would never get into a relationship with someone who wouldn’t show Chouko the love and devotion she needs and deserves.

“He hasn’t treated you badly has he? And have you met your mother yet?” The man has actually not acknowledged Uta’s presence at all, didn’t even look at him when he arrived, but he doesn’t tell Rei this. Instead he tells her that he has yet to meet with his birthmother, as she’s not been feeling well enough for visitors yet. Souta wants to surprise his mother, so she has yet to be told that Uta is actually in Kyoto. Her family wants to surprise her.

“I’ve brushed my teeth!” Chouko races over to the couch and clambers all over her mother as she tries to reach for the phone. Before any accidents can happen, Rei hands it over to the girl.

“Daddy! I’m going to bed now, can you tell me a story? A proper bedtime story this time!” And then she races to her room with the phone in hand. Rei sighs but follows. Uta always tells her the craziest stories, but Chouko loves them and that is why Uta is the one telling the bedtime stories. She sits by Chouko’s bed, arms crossed as she rests against it, her head resting over them as she listens to Uta spinning a rather ridiculous tale. Chouko listens with rapt attention until her eyes droop and she finally falls asleep. Uta goes on, oblivious, until Rei closes the door behind her.

“She’s asleep.” Uta stops.

“ _Did she enjoy it?”_

_“_ Very. She misses you, so she didn’t look away until she fell asleep.”

_“Great.”_

“Would you mind telling me a bit about your siblings? You haven’t said much about them, even though you’ve been there for a few days already.”

“ _You’ll most likely meet them at some point with the way things are going.”_

“Prepare me for that.” She jokes and he laughs, but indulges her for a bit before he has to hang up.

_“I’ll call you tomorrow.”_

“I love you.” Rei says and he returns the sentiment before the call ends. It’s a bit lonely when Uta’s gone, because Chouko is already asleep and it seems so… quiet. Rei sighs. She’s far too dependent on his presence.

**XXX**

Souta brings Uta over to the hospital the next morning. Uta expects to be told yet again that the sickly woman is too tired for visitors but is surprised by the nurse’s smile.

“Yes, she’s feeling well today. She’ll be happy to finally have some visitors.”

“Thank you.” Souta smiles and leads Uta to the room, stopping only to glance back at his half-brother. “Are you ready for this?” Uta just nods. He’s come this far, there’s no use turning away now. He still can’t help but feel a bit of apprehension when Souta opens the door. It makes the glassmaker try and remember a time he did feel apprehension last. He can only come up with a few instances, the day he and Rei ran away, during the trial, when Chouko was born…

“Mother?”

“Oh, Souta!” Uta’s never heard her voice before, but she sounds happy, if not a bit frail.

“I’ve brought a visitor. He’d like to meet you, if you’re up for it?”

“Yes, that should be alright.” Souta enters the room, and Uta follows. When he lays eyes on the woman, he sees dark hair, red eyes, pale skin, a sharp chin and a rounded nose, high cheekbones and a thin neck. Her eyes widen, and a hand covers her mouth as she stares at him, quite in disbelief. Washuu Honoka has never in her wildest dreams thought she’d see this man all grown up in front of her.

“Mother, this is Yamagata Uta.” She doesn’t need Souta to explain, she’s recognized the man who is walking through the door. She is so surprised, and her eyes are welling with tears.

“Hello.” Uta steps closer, not quite sure what to say, but remembers that Rei had advised him to make the most of it. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” Her lower lip wobbles and Souta is quick to be at her side.

“Are you alright? Is this too much for you?”

“Oh my sweet Souta.” Honoka lays her hand upon his cheek, smiling. “You’ve truly gone far for me, haven’t you?” The man smiles, laying his hand over hers.

“You wanted this. The least I could do was try.” She smiles at him for a moment longer, before she turns towards Uta.

“Come closer, please.” She asks him, and he moves until he’s right beside the bed. She looks so frail, yet he can see that she resembles Tsumugi. And he can see himself.

“I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say to you.” She says quietly and he shrugs.

“Say whatever you feel like, I’m not easily offended.” She chuckles, but still seem unsure. He grabs himself a chair and sits down. He shows her that he is in no hurry and waits for her to gather the courage and her wits. Souta tells them that he’ll be just outside, to give them their privacy and once the door closes, there’s a silence that neither breaks for many moments.

“May I ask how mother is?” The woman finally asks, quietly, voice hesitant.

“She’s a spry old lady.” Uta answers. “Considering her age, she’s quite healthy.” The dark haired woman smiles in relief.

“I’m glad.”

“She’d have come too, if she wasn’t so stubborn. Granny was sad to hear that you’re ill.” The woman closes her eyes and sighs, quiet for many, many more moments.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come back.” She finally says, trying to look at him, but failing to do so for long. She is rightly ashamed of her actions. “I was afraid, and ashamed. I felt like I had no right to come back into your life.”

“It’s okay. No harm was done to me. Leaving me with granny was probably the more responsible thing to do. You were just a child yourself.” She stares at him, wide-eyed before her expression twists with both relief and grief. Relief that he doesn’t appear to hold any grudges against her, grief that she wasn’t there and got to see him grow up.

“You are a very understanding individual.”

“I’m just able to look at things logically, is all.” Honoka asks him what he does for a living, what kind of education did he take? Does he have a family of his own? Has he managed to do what he wanted with his life? Uta will give her credit for being so honestly curious about him, because he can see the way she leans forward in her seat in such an excited way. She wants to know anything he’ll tell her.

“Souta-san told me you followed my friend’s trial over the news? That that’s how you found me.” She nods. “I married that friend. Her name is Rei, and we’ve got a little girl, her name is Chouko.” His mother’s eyes widen, and she claps her hands in delight at these news. She looks much livelier now than when he entered. So he tells her a bit more, about his profession and his shop, even shows her the website so she can see some of his work.

All in all, it’s a good day.

* * *

That very same evening, he unlocks the door to his own home, much to the surprise of his wife. Rei blinks from her seat on the couch when he enters, dropping his bag unceremoniously on the floor.

“You’re back already?” She questions.

“Yeah.”

“Why? Is something wrong? You didn’t call.” She worries for him, and he likes that, it’s kind and she cares, he thinks as he flops onto the couch and wraps his arms around her middle, burying his face into her stomach. Moments later he feels fingers combing through his hair.

“Uta?” She asks softly.

“She’s a nice lady.” He mutters, and Rei hums questioningly. “My birthmother. She’s really nice. I got to meet her today. She asked to meet you and Chouko if you were willing to.” Rei nods, humming softly, saying she will take some time off and they’ll all go the next time Uta heads out, so that they all can get to know each other. Uta seems surprised by this, but also happy, and she smiles. Their whole relationship, it’s always been him catering to her needs, and she knows it. This time she can return the gesture, properly.

“It’s been a long day, right? Do you want to go to bed early?” He nods and they go about getting ready for bed. Once beneath the sheets, he wraps his arms around her middle and tucks his head beneath her chin, and Rei continues to comb her fingers through his hair until she lulls him to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The first time Rei and Chouko meets Uta’s birthmother, well, one can say that Chouko took care of the talking. Rei was mostly in the background, trying to keep her daughter from overwhelming her grandmother when she wasn’t feeling all too well, or so the nurses had claimed before they were let in. The sight of a grandchild she had hoped she would be allowed to meet, had apparently made her feel a whole lot better. And it had been an exciting day for Chouko too, who got to meet not only a grandmother, but also a whole lot of cousins. Her family went from being just four to suddenly being triple that amount, and she couldn’t be happier. And it made her parents quite happy too, to see her so excited.

So now they often visit Kyoto and sleep over. Rei finds herself getting along with Uta’s half-siblings rather well, but she is not much of a fan of their father. He is a right bastard, she told Uta, who had laughed but not disagreed with her. So they stay clear of that man, and instead just continue to be with the family.

Nearly a year has passed since Souta appeared on their doorstep, and Uta tells Rei after a lengthy, and loud on the other end, phone-conversation with his grandmother that Tsumugi is considering visiting, finally talking to her daughter for the first time in decades.

“That’s good. I think they’d both benefit a lot from seeing each other again.” Rei says as she braids Chouko’s hair. They’re going with Souta’s wife, Rize, and their two kids, to the park near the hospital to play while Uta and Souta visit their mother again. Rei and Rize have a pleasant conversation together while the children run around playing, waving when the children call on their attention for something that fascinate them or when they’re about to do a proper stunt.

“They’re certainly lively.” Rize says.

“That’s how it should be.” Rei agrees.

“I’m glad you came for mother’s birthday.”

“Of course.” Rei says, turning towards Rize. “Now that they have found each other, Uta wants to visit as often as we can. I’m glad he’s getting the chance to know his mother, and Chouko adores her.”

“And you?” Rize asks, though not unkindly.

“I am happy too. It’s nice, doing these small trips with my family to meet the other half of it. We went from being a little one to becoming a part of a big one.”

“Good.” Rize seem relieved, despite the fact that they have all known each other for some time now. It makes Rei wonder if perhaps she has been a bit distant. That will have to change.

“Again, I want to apologize for father’s rudeness.” Rize says, but Rei waves the apology away. The entire family apologizes for that man every time they visit, and Rei feels like they’ve done it more than enough. They aren’t responsible for the man’s attitude.

“That’s okay, I don’t much care as long as he doesn’t say anything hurtful to Uta or Chouko. If he keeps to himself, we won’t bother him either.”

“I see.” Rize smiles and they turn to see where their children have gone. Rei quickly notices that she can’t see Chouko anywhere.

“Where’d she go?” She muses as she looks around, and Rize points out that maybe they are playing hide and seek. Rei would have been inclined to believe it, if not for the fact that Rize’s two sons come running up to them, pale as sheets and appearing to have been very frightened. They jump at their mother, yanking at her dress as they babble on.

“What’s wrong?”

“An old guy grabbed Cho-chan!” Daiki, the oldest, cries and Rei’s blood runs cold in her veins. She took her eyes off of her daughter for just a moment, and something like this happens? She jumps to her feet and looks around desperately, hoping against all reason that she can see or hear her little girl before it’s too late. She has no such luck. Her girl, her girl, her little girl is gone, someone _took her little girl!_

“Where’d he go?” She asks the boys, who turn to point at the exit on the right side, away from the hospital. “Call the police!” Rei tells Rize as she runs in the direction of the exit, ignoring the purple-haired woman’s yells for her to wait. All she can think of is finding her daughter. To hear that a stranger just up and took her while Rei was there and could have avoided the whole situation altogether, she wants to throw up at the thought. The streets grow deserted, and she does call out Chouko’s name, and as she passes by a dark alley, she can her hear little girl crying.

“ _Chouko!”_ She calls out and follows the sound, doesn’t even stop to consider the fact that she’s venturing into deep, dark parts of a city she doesn’t know that well. The Rei who existed years ago wouldn’t have dared to move, neither further into danger or away from it, but the Rei from years ago did not have a little girl in the clutches of a kidnapper who wants who knows what with a little girl. All she can think of is finding Chouko and bringing her out of danger. And then, when she rounds a corner, she sees the little girl, and her kidnapper.

Rei freezes in place.

Uta and Souta quickly find Rize, who’s at the station, quite distraught.

“I’m sorry, Uta-san, it all happened so fast-“

“Okay, calm down, what happened?” Souta says, and she takes a deep breath as she explains to them what had happened, how she and Rei had been talking together while the children were playing together in the park, before suddenly, Chouko had disappeared and their boys had said that someone had taken her, and Rei had just run off straight after them without a moment’s hesitation. The woman seems quite distraught, but while Souta tries to calm her down, alongside his sons, Uta can’t help but feel disoriented, very much so. His wife and daughter are gone, and he doesn’t know where. Even if Rei did find Chouko, there’s no guarantee that she could fight whoever it is off and bring both Chouko and herself to safety. They could be anywhere, and he had no way of finding them because Rei isn’t answering her phone. He’s about to find someone to ask for an update when two officers barge into the station, with a crying child.

Uta moves automatically towards them, pushing people aside in his haste to reach them, and he just simply reaches out because it _is_ Chouko, and she is crying, and she’s scared and he has to comfort her. The office holding her draws back, eyeing him suspiciously until Chouko pushes at him and cries out as she tries to wriggle free and get to her father. She’s successful, and Uta holds her close, pressing kisses into her hair as he tells her she’s safe, he’s got her, she’s safe now and no one will ever take her like that again. He pulls back, just enough to get a proper look at her, and notices a slight swelling cheek, and his mind races with unpleasant scenarios.

“What happened? Are you hurt?”

“A-a scary man took me, and m-mommy found us and she-she seemed really, _really_ s-scared, d-daddy! He hi-hit me!” Her lower lip wobbles terribly as he traces the swelled cheek. He feels anger bubble up in him as she tells him what happened, but shoves it back down before it can properly emerge and scare his daughter any more than she already is. She sniffs and buries her face in his shirt and he tightens his grip, stroking a hand over her head as he tries to calm her down. Now he’s got Chouko back, but where is Rei? Why isn’t she with Chouko now? He looks to the officers and asks where she is, but they shake their heads, and Chouko whimpers.

“Mommy c-called him _uncle_.” There are very few things that can make Uta afraid at this point in his life. Hearing Chouko sob out _that_ word makes his stomach drop.

“She did? She really said that?” Even as her daughter nods he pulls out his phone and starts dialling a number.

“Her mother was nowhere to be seen?” He asks the officers again as he pushes the phone between his ear and shoulder, and the officers shakes their heads.

“We have a patrol out looking, but we found your daughter all alone.”

_‘Shit.’_ Uta thinks and waits for Itori to answer the phone. Two rings in and the redhead answers.

“ _U-chan! It’s been a while_ _! How’s Kyoto?”_

“Itori-san, please call Donato-san, and find out if Rei’s uncle is still in jail.” There’s a slight pause on the other end before Itori speaks up again, sounding nervous, no doubt by the urgency in his tone, and the question itself. None of them have ever mentioned the man ever since he was taken away, out of their lives, for good.

“ _What’s going on?”_

“I’ll explain later, please, do this for me.”

_“Okay.”_ Itori says. “ _I’ll be right back.”_ Thirty very long minutes later, Uta’s phone buzzes to life again. Chouko has calmed down now, and is snuggled into his side from where they are sitting on a bench in the station, still waiting for any of the patrols out searching to come back with Rei, safe and sound. At this point, Uta has a nagging feeling that they won’t.

“Yes?”

“ _He escaped, a week ago.”_ It’s the confirmation he doesn’t want to hear, but suspected he’d get.

“Fuck.”

_“Ren-chan is actually in Kyoto too. He wants to know what’s going on, and if he can help in any way.”_

“Rei disappeared, Chouko saw who took her, and said Rei called him ‘uncle’. He’s got her again, and the police can’t find her.” He explains, hugging his daughter close as she whimpers, listening to her father talk about what had happened.

“ _Call Ren-chan, he’ll help you out. Meanwhile, I’ll do what I can over here, like finding out why you weren’t informed, as you should have been.”_ Itori says, sounding like she was working herself up to do some rather severe phone calls. Hearing that they’re there, doing what they can, it makes Uta feel slightly better, but only slightly.

“Thank you, I will.” He calls Renji, who hurries to the Washuu residence where they have all relocated, and anxiously waits for any calls from the police, who had told them all to go home and wait for a phone call. There’s nothing more they can do, other than wait. Chouko is so afraid of being alone that Rize arranges for futons to be brought into the living room, so that the children can play games and watch television until they exhaust themselves to sleep with the adults present so that they may feel safe. The moment Chouko falls asleep, all Uta does is stare at his phone, waiting for the phone call where he will learn that they have found his wife and that she is safe.

“Uta.” Renji speaks up and the tattooed man looks up, realizing he’s been unconsciously ignoring his friend for quite a while, judging by the looks the rest of the group is giving him. “They’ll find her.” Renji tries, Uta will give him that much. Before he can answer though, his phone flares to life and he practically leaps at it to answer. He vaults out of the couch and tells Renji to watch over Chouko.

They’ve found Rei.


	5. Chapter 5

It’s early in the morning when Renji comes by the hospital with Chouko. He regrets doing it the moment he sees Rei in the bed, but Chouko had been near on hysteric about wanting to see her mother, to know she was safe and home, and no longer with the bad man. Rei is a terrible sight on the bed, covered in bandages and bruises, hooked to several beeping machines. The damage could be much worse, and Uta knows this, Renji knows this, but Rei must be a horrifying sight to their daughter nonetheless, looking as frail and hurt and small and connected to all those machines. Chouko doesn’t understand why they’re so scared of the bad man, because she’s barely seven now, she’s never been told about Rei’s uncle, they never planned on telling her even, thinking that was a chapter in their lives they were all very much done with. Still, even as the little girl swallows and looks ready to burst into tears again, she bravely moves over and stands by the bed, small hands reaching out to grab a hold of the sheets. She looks to her dad who offers a tired smile, leaning forward to lift the girl and put her in his seat.

“Mommy will be fine.” He assures her, and asks if she’s okay to sit alone for a little bit while he talks to uncle Renji. The girl nods her head and he kisses the top of her hair, giving her a small smile before heading over to Renji.

“Seven hours.” He mutters, quietly to make sure Chouko doesn’t hear him and grow more afraid than she already is. “He had her for seven hours and he’s caused a lot of damage. Dislocated shoulder, cracked ribs, she’s full of bruises, cuts all over… Just look at her.” Uta rubs his face. He hasn’t slept in nearly 24 hours, and he doesn’t want to either. Rei hasn’t woken up since she was brought into the hospital, and Uta wonders if things can get much worse. He certainly feels like it when the doctor comes up to them, looking apologetic. He doesn’t want any more bad news, he just wants to hear that, while beaten and hurt and probably scarred for life for a second time, she will wake up and be fine.

“What is it?” He asks, not quite sure he wants to know the answer.

Chouko sits by her mother’s side, watching her father and uncle speak to the woman in white. First, her father seem relieved, but then the doctor says something that makes him dig the heels of his hands into his eyes and his shoulders slump. Renji claps his shoulder in a comforting gesture, and Chouko grows even more scared, despite her father’s attempts at calming her down earlier. Her dad never displays emotions like this, he’s always so calm and collected, so to see him this distressed and tired makes Chouko afraid. She looks at her mother, who lays in bed, quiet and frail and hurt, and the sight scares the girl even more. Her lower lip wobbles as she calls on Uta.

“Daddy, is mommy going to die?” It’s such a horrible question for a seven year old to ask about their own mother, but the fact is that Rei is lying in a hospital bed, unresponsive to touch and sound. Chouko has never seen her mom look like this before. A person asleep looks very different from a hurt person in a hospital bed. Uta is by her side in moments.

“No, mommy will be just fine.” He says as he picks her up, letting her hug him tightly. _‘Physically.’_

“But she looks really bad, and you seem so sad. You’re never sad, daddy.” His little girl is so perceptive, Uta thinks, smiling slightly at her as he sits down in the chair with her in his lap.

“I’m just sad this happened, princess. But mommy will be just fine, the doctors said so. It will just take a little time.” The girl nods and looks down in her lap, wringing her hands together anxiously. Uta tilts his head, wondering what it can be that bothers her so much now, knowing that her mother will be just fine with time. Of course, Rei looks absolutely terrible, so even with the knowledge that she will be fine, Chouko is probably very worried. She bites her lip and scrunches her brows together before looking up at him, looking so helplessly sad.

“Is this my fault?” He stares for a moment, completely caught off guard by her question.

“No!” He exclaims and she blinks, surprised by his outburst. “No, no it’s not your fault, don’t think that, never think that. The one in the wrong is the one who took the both of you.” He says sternly.

“So it’s not my fault? He only got mommy because he took me.”

“Chouko, you’re seven years old.” Uta tells her, brushing her hair behind her ear. “There’s nothing you could have done against an adult.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.” Uta affirms and Chouko slumps against him.

“Will mommy really be better?” It must be hard to believe when the woman lies so frail on the bed they’re sitting beside, even if she trust her father more than anyone else in the world right now. Chouko may be young, but her mind can think so far that she believes he’s just trying to make her feel better.

“Yes. She’s strong, she’ll be okay, you’ll see.

It’s late afternoon the next day when Rei regains consciousness. She cracks an eye open and hears the beeping of the monitors and feels very disoriented, until the memories return. She feels her pulse racing as she cards through the memories, trying to make sense of the situation and where she is until she remembers that she did get away. Which leads to the realization that she must be in a hospital. It never got to this point before, that she would find herself in a hospital bed after a beating. She tries to move, to turn her head to look around, only to gasp at the pain the movement causes her. She is worse off now than she’s ever been before, what did her uncle tell them when she was brought in, what kind of explanation did he have for these injuries-

“Rei.” A voice quietly calls out and the woman nearly sobs out of relief as Uta moves into sight, and the fragmented memories fall a little bit more into line. She’s not a teenager anymore, that is a very long time ago. She’s an adult, she has a family, she has friends being there for her. She is not trapped. It just took a moment to remember it, after having been pulled back into a world where her uncle was within reach of her again.

“Don’t move too much, you’re pretty beat up.” Uta tells her quietly, thumbs carefully rubbing away the tears escaping her.

“Chouko?” She asks and he nods over to his chair, and Rei, despite her pain it causes her, turns to see her little girl curled up in a chair, asleep and safe. The sight makes the woman sigh in relief and properly relax into the pillow. She looks up at Uta again, noticing the dark circles around his eyes, his hair’s a mess, his clothes are rumpled. No rest for the wicked, apparently. There’s nothing humorous about the situation, something bad and dangerous has happened, and it can happen again, but for just a moment does Rei want to lift their spirits.

“You look like shit.” Uta snorts at her comment, taking her good hand and kissing her knuckles. He doesn’t make a comeback on her own appearance, but he doesn’t need to. The worry he tries, but fails, to hide is telling enough. It must be bad, or else it wouldn’t have shown so well on his face.

“How’s my face? Is my selling point ruined?” This time he does chuckle, as he reaches out to carefully brush his hand over her forehead. These soft, gentle touches are very much welcome after everything she had experienced who knows how long ago. It is safe and familiar and comforting and all she wants to know.

“You’ve got a real shiner.” He admits. It’s worse, really. Her left cheek is still swollen, and she does have a real dark eye, and a few cuts over her forehead, brow and lip. But they are wounds that will heal. It’s the rest of her he’s more worried about.

“How bad? Bad enough that I don’t have to use more than half the amount of eye-shadow for a while?” It’s not funny, nothing about this is funny, Uta thinks, but right now it appears like this is the way Rei is trying to deal with it all, the entire unfortunate situation that could have been avoided. So he indulges her.

“You’ve never really needed make-up.” He says. He doesn’t find this funny at all, but if she feels like she has to joke about it, he will allow it and play along, at the very least until Chouko wakes up. He keeps telling himself this again and again.

“Is he still out there?” The question comes out as a shaky breath and he nods, sobering Rei up instantly.

“Yes, but we have the police guarding the door. He won’t get you again.” It’s a promise, meant to offer a sense of comfort and security, and Rei sinks into it, because when has Uta ever lied to her?

“They’re looking for him too. This time, he’ll be sent away for good.” That is the truth. A horrible thing that neither of them ever expected to happen has now happened, but once the police captures the man, it’ll be the end. Rei won’t ever have to worry about him getting released, not with this second assault on her after the trial, not with his escape from prison.

“I know you’re probably tired, but the offices want to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?” He gives her the option to say no, but while she appreciates it, she’d rather answer any questions the police have to aid them in a quicker capture of the man. The faster this is over, the easier it will be for her to heal.

“I’ll talk to them.” She sighs, tiredly but resolutely. “I have to give them a description, right?”

“Actually, Chouko gave a very detailed description of him.” Rei blinks, and stares. Her little girl of seven, who went through such a traumatic experience that should have left her shaken and withdrawn, had given a detailed description of the man who had kidnapped her? Rei can’t help the laugh that burst out of her, only to start coughing as she realizes just how dry her throat is. The sound makes Chouko jerk awake and she stares at her mother before jumping out of the chair and racing over.

“Mommy! Are you better now?” Rei isn’t, not really, but she nods anyway to calm any fears her daughter may have. She’d really like some water though.

“Are you okay, Chouko?” The girl’s cheek is still a little bit swollen, but it seems like the girl is paying it no heed as she grins widely and nods, moving to climb up onto the bed with her mother, only to have Uta stop her and tell her that she will have to wait a little bit. Just because her mother says she’s feeling better, it doesn’t mean that her body is faring all that well. She’s still injured.

The doctor is called on, and they say they’re glad to see Rei awake, and to tell her that nothing is majorly wrong with her, only that some of the injuries will take time to heal. And that she should take it easy even after they deem her healthy enough to be discharged. Entering the room alongside the officers is Renji, and Rei is pleasantly surprised to see him. It’s good to have him there as well, because when the officers begin to ask questions, he brings Chouko out of the room. She’s thankful for it, because she doesn’t want to be alone with them but she doesn’t want Chouko to listen in either. It’s… there’s just something about having the silent support of a loved one when she has to go into detail what happened.

“He’s angry. He claims I destroyed his life, and he wants me dead. He hit me a lot, as you can see, and he cut me too, saying he was going to carve me up and send me back piece by piece.” She explains as she looks down at her bandaged wrists. She can only imagine the rope burns from where she fought against her constraints.

“I managed to wriggle free.” It had hurt, a lot. She’d felt like she had been rubbing her skin off, and it had felt like the areas where on fire.

“I tried to run, but he was faster and I was in pain.” It’s hard to focus, to breathe, once the memories floods back every time she closes her eyes. A hand finds hers and squeezes.

“I found a crowbar, and I hit him in the leg several times. That’s how I got away, because he screamed suddenly and fell to the ground. I took my chance and ran.”

“Hm, we couldn’t find him from the building you exited from, so he’s still free, but considering what you’re telling us here, we can assume he’s hurt and limping.” There’s not much else she can tell them, so they leave and Rei can rest.

“You should sleep some more.” Uta comments and she glances over at him.

“When was the last time _you_ slept?” He doesn’t answer, and she chuckles. There’s a comfortable silence in which she is nearly lulled back to sleep when Uta speaks up again.

“Rei.” She forces her eyes open, not liking the tone of voice. She doesn’t like the conflicted look on his face either. “The doctor told me something before you woke up… And you should know, but I’m worried it’s too soon.”

“What?” Rei asks, sitting up and ignoring the ache she feels at the slight movement.

“You’re pregnant.” He says quietly and she just… she just tries to wrap her head around what he just said. How did he say it?

“As in, I still am?” He nods and she sags into her bed, one hand drifting up to rest on her still flat stomach. They want another one, they have tried for another one, but Rei has yet to actually do any test to see if they were successful, and if she had… she’s glad she hasn’t, because if she had, she would have been so worried after this attack. But to hear that she is pregnant, even after all this…

“I guess I really… I should just stay in bed, huh.”

“Are you okay with-“

“This is the best news I’ve received in the last, what, twenty-four hours? I’m okay, surprised? Yes. Shocked as all hell? Oh yes, but I’m okay.” She’s smiling, eyes closing as she breathes in deep. She has to be careful, as her body is pretty banged up. But oh she’s so happy.

“Well, now I’ve got an excuse to laze around, hm.”

“As if we’d let you out of bed at this point anyways.” Uta snorts.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to add a new tag after this chapter. Good luck

Rei’s stay in the hospital isn’t unpleasant. Far from it. While the whole reason she’s there was a rather unpleasant and very painful experience, her stay is rather nice. She’s not the biggest fan of being mostly stuck to a bed, but she’s never alone. Uta is there at all hours he’s allowed to, until he’s chased out by the nurses. Souta, Rize and their children come by to see how she’s doing as well, keeping her company. It’s easy to do when she’s in the same hospital as Uta and Souta’s mother, who also comes to visit. Since she’s staying in the hospital, she can stay a little bit longer, and is very much amused by Chouko telling her mother all about her little trip to a part of the hospital that had _so many babies!_

“I want a sibling, so go pick one!” The girl had demanded and Rei had laughed.

“Those babies already have families, but your dad and I will see if we can’t do something about that.” Rei is feeling well enough to let Chouko climb up onto the bed with her now, as long as the girl doesn’t move too much, and delights in holding her girl close, to actually _feel_ that she is safe with her. It’s one thing to see and hear, but another completely to feel. It makes it more real. Chouko also actively seeks out to be as close to her mother as she can. The girl had a real scare, and both Rei and Uta have discussed that once the whole thing is over, there will be therapy. For all three of them. This has been a rather tough ordeal on all three.

When everyone has to go home, Uta’s mother stays for a bit longer, wanting to keep talking with Rei for as long as she’s able. And Rei finds it very nice to have someone with her for a little bit longer. She has taken a liking to Uta’s mother and thinks that despite Uta having been raised by his grandmother, there are more similarities between the two of them than differences. That calm demeanour, for example, the curve of their smiles, the nose, the mischievous glint in their eyes. Too alike.

“How are you feeling?” Honoka asks and Rei shrugs her uninjured shoulder.

“Better. Physically, at least. Mentally, I’m exhausted.” She admits, wriggling a bit to get comfortable against the pillows, which are a bit more luxurious than she had thought hospital pillows to be. There are apparently a lot of benefits to being so close to the Washuu family, or so Uta had told her. Rei is not complaining in the least. Her shoulder is not her best friend at the moment.

“Understandable. It is the same man, isn’t it?” Rei nods, exhaling loudly.

“It’s… Can I talk to you about it? Uta was with me last time, and this time he’s, well, he’s part of it now, and I want to talk to someone not _in_ it, if you understand?” Honoka nods with a small smile, gesturing for Rei to go on. So she does, telling Honoka about what happened when they were younger, how Uta, Renji, Itori and Tsumugi helped her out of such a horrible situation, and how her nightmares have returned. Honoka seems properly horrified as she listens to Rei explain what it was like, living in the same house as the man, and living in constant fear that he would find her. Even many years after the trial.

“He said I wouldn’t get away with it back then. And now he’s back.” Honoka wheels herself closer to the bed and takes Rei’s hand, giving the younger woman a determined nod.

“Well, trust me on this, he will not get away so easily this time. It may be rather impudent of me to say this, but no one hurts my family and gets away with it.” Rei feels tears gather, but doesn’t do much to stop the few that trail down her cheeks. Honoka truly resembles her mother, just as decisive as her, and strong too. She squeezes back, and finds herself happy that despite the fact that her uncle is back, she still has a steady support system.

“Did Uta tell you?” Honoka tilts her head at Rei’s question and the light-haired woman lays a hand on her stomach. “I’m pregnant. We’ll have another child, though I am very worried that the state my uncle has put me in has made my body weak and vulnerable. I am almost afraid to go to the bathroom, really.” She admits. She was afraid back when she was pregnant with Chouko too, though the doctor had assured her back then that she was perfectly healthy, and in no more risk than any other healthy young women to miscarriage. This time is different though. She has just gone through a terrible beating while pregnant, by all means it’s a miracle that everything ended so well. Honoka nods her head in understanding.

“Before Souta, I had two miscarriages.” She tells Rei. “No matter how careful I was, I lost them. Already back then my body was growing frail, but I always thought it was my punishment for leaving Uta with my mother without even explaining myself. So when I managed to carry Souta to full term, I was so happy. I poured all the love I had in me into that boy. I understand your worries, but you’re in one of the best hospitals in Japan, with the best care anyone could hope for. As long as you listen to the doctors and let your body recuperate and rest as much as you can, I believe both you and your baby will be fine.” It’s reassuring to hear Honoka believe that everything will be alright, it makes Rei’s shoulders drop a bit. Being relaxed is just as important.

“Thank you. I needed that.”

A few days later, Rei can gingerly remove the support and move her arm without it hurting too much, though she’s told not to use her arm too much or strain it with any heavy lifting or work.

“I’m a hairdresser.” She protests, wincing as she carefully rolls her shoulder. It still throbs, and even without the doctor telling her she knows she won’t be able to do her job properly for even just one client.

“Not for the next eight weeks, you’re not.” The doctor states firmly, and adds that she can go home the next day, but that she still needs to be careful and let her body have plenty of rest. Rei likes the sound of being able to leave the hospital soon, as she never really felt safe even while she has been guarded by police officers for the entirety of her stay here. A hospital is a public building after all, anyone can come and go whenever they want or need.

“I’ll just go grab a cup of coffee.” Uta says after having helped her into her own clothes. Rei already feels more like herself, even if it’s just simple sweatpants and a t-shirt. It is so much better than the hospital gown. It makes her feel less like a victim again, if that makes sense, and more like herself, more like Rei.

“Okay.” She tells him. It’s really late. Visiting hours will be over soon, but Uta assures her that he’ll hurry back after having got the coffee. It’s just down the hall, after all. Rei rests against her bed, cradling her aching shoulder. This is going to stay with her a while, this aching, throbbing. The memories are going to stay even longer. Back then, she feared for a lot of things, a never-ending state of abuse was at the top of the list, death was almost a wish.

It’s not a wish now. She shakes her head. She is safe now, she has police outside the doors, the police is out there searching for the man, she will be fine.

The door opens and she looks up, but makes no more moves.

“We’re going for a walk.” The intruder says. Rei swallows, mouth dry as she slowly straightens up.

* * *

Uta’s on his way back, coffee in hand and a yawn escaping him. It’s been a terrible week, but it’s starting to brighten up. It’s already so late that there’s no one roaming the halls and it’s kind of creepy, and he’s glad Rei will be out of here soon. He looks up when he hears footsteps, and pauses by the sight of Rei and a man he barely recognizes, _barely_ being the keyword here. Rei appears terrified, and Uta, as he moves forward to do something, anything, wonders how the man got past the officers watching her door. And he is overcome by fury at the sight of Rei being so scared, again, of being so close to the man who her and abused her for such a long time. Back when they were young, they had gone the safe way, the legal way, but the Uta right now who had to watch Rei build herself up from the crumbling pieces this man had left behind has no patience for that kind of stressful and time-consuming process. Not now, not anymore. This ends here.

There’s a loud bang and Uta feels a searing pain as he is thrown back by some invisible force.

Rei screams.


	7. Chapter 7

Rei screams as she watches her husband stumble back and fall onto the floor, unmoving. He’s not moving but she is and she pushes her uncle hard away from her, hard enough that he hits his head against the wall and falls over. She’s at Uta’s side in moments, pressing her hands onto his bleeding stomach.

“Uta? Uta, can you hear me?” He blinks, appearing rather disoriented and she hears footsteps. She blinks through her tears, seeing a few nurses come running around the corner.

“Help me!” She yells hysterically. “He shot him!” No matter how much pressure she applies, the blood won’t stop, and she voices it out loud. Two of the nurses hurries over to her, with gauze and gas binds, taking over for Rei who moves up to clasp Uta’s face, trying so very hard to ignore the fact that her hands are dyed in his blood.

“Uta! Uta, look at me!” She demands, and he does so, brows furrowing for a moment before relaxing.

“Rei…”

“Don’t you _‘Rei’_ me!” She tells him angrily, trying to keep him awake, his attention on her. “You stupid, _stupid man_! Why didn’t you run?” The answer is so obvious, even when the other man had a weapon. Uta’s never left her behind before, he wouldn’t start now, not now.

“Didn’ see th’ gun.” He slurs just as a doctor arrives on the scene, along with yet another nurse and a gurney.

“We need more people here!” Rei is pushed back as Uta is lifted onto the gurney, her uncle on another one and she runs after them until she is physically restrained and cannot follow them anymore. She screams, fights, hits, tries to push the nurses away, ignoring the throb in her shoulders until she’s spun around and comes face-to-face with Renji. Rei stops short, as reality sinks in

“He shot him.” She whimpers. “He shot Uta.” She cannot go after him, she’s not allowed to go any further so all she feels she can do is lean against Renji, who hugs her.

“What’ll I tell Chouko?” Her voice cracks.

“The truth.” Renji says, determined. “Tell her that her father will be alright.”

“All this blood, it’s his, just his. He just… wouldn’t stop bleeding.” Renji hadn’t seen it, hadn’t been there to witness Uta bleeding all over the corridor and a new surge of panic seizes her and she pushes at Renji, trying to get away from him once her own words sink in at the sight of herself. All of this blood staining her clothes and skin is Uta’s, and there’s too much of it, too much! He’s going to die because she didn’t fight, because she didn’t manage to alert anyone. Uta is going to die because she is a helpless coward. Rei tries to yank open the doors Uta and the nurses and the doctor had disappeared through, fights and screams when Renji holds her back and then there’s a sharp prick in her arm and she loses consciousness.

When she wakes up, she jerks alive when she realizes what happened, and starts fighting the needles stuck in her arm.

“I swear, I’ll have them knock you out again!” She hears Renji snarl from somewhere and she freezes in place, before slowly removing her hand from the needles. She lays there still for several moments, mind swirling with the last she remembers before darkness took her. Uta, her uncle, the gun, all that blood…

“How long?” She rasps.

“Six hours.”

“Where’s Chouko?”

“Asleep at the Washuu’s. She doesn’t know anything. I’m keeping Souta updated.” Rei doesn’t have to put up a brave face for anyone right now. Hiding her own pain and fear is hard enough, because right now she feels like that teenage girl who believed she was worthless. But the one in danger isn’t her this time, it’s Uta, and Uta isn’t worthless because he is her best friend, her husband, the person she trusts the most in this world and the one who taught her to believe she is worth something. This is it, her uncle’s threats all those years ago, finally he made them real.

And it’s too much to think about, too much of a burden to carry. The tears spill, and she doesn’t try to stop them because she’s exhausted, and afraid and she wants this nightmare to be over with. So she cries, curls in on herself and wails into her pillow. She feels Renji grab her hand and she clings to it, because right now she has no one else, only Renji is here right now.

“You’ll be okay.” Renji mutters, and then falls silent. He doesn’t know any more than Rei does at the moment. No one’s come to inform him of Uta’s situation, but no one’s come to give him any bad news either, so he’ll cling to hope.

He’s an eternal optimist, after all. Too many bad things have happened to Rei. She shouldn’t have to lose any more people, especially not to _that_ man. Especially not Uta.

Renji knows Rei has been doing good, that she no longer suffers any mental breakdowns, is able to live with what happened to her without it hindering or causing her trouble with daily life, but he’s worrying. What will happen if Uta _does_ die? Even if he doesn’t, how will Rei be after everything she has gone through in such a short time, years after she was finally free from her uncle? Will she break? Will she have to rebuild herself again? Will she be able to do it?

“He was just going to get a cup of coffee.” Rei says quietly, staring at the hand clutching hers. Renji didn’t even notice she had stopped crying. Rei quickly realizes that while she was unconscious, they had changed her clothes. She looks around and notices that she can’t see her clothes anywhere in the room either, but she doesn’t have to see them to remember how much of his blood had been on the clothing. Even when she had tried to apply pressure, tried to stop it, it just wouldn’t. How is she supposed to tell her daughter that her father is dying because of her? Because her mother is a coward?

“Chouko is going to hate me.” Rei whimpers.

“For what?” Renji asks quietly.

“Uta dying.” Renji knows he should be patient with her, that she’s just scared and too much is happening all at once and she feels like she is spiralling out of control.

But Renji is scared too, so he forces her to look at him and gives her a lecture.

Uta doesn’t know where he is. It looks like the hospital, but it’s poorly lit up and it’s deserted, which is rather creepy.

And where’s the coffee he went to grab? Uta’s pretty sure he got it. He decides to forget about it and go back to Rei’s room. Visiting hours are almost over, he wants to say goodbye before he has to go. It’s truly eerie how quiet it is, and that he doesn’t encounter anyone on his way. He pauses when he reaches Rei’s hospital room, but sees no one. The room is empty of all personal belongings, and people. He frowns, and looks around, both inside and outside the room, and in the halls. The computers at the nurses’ station aren’t even turned on.

Something is wrong.

He lightly jogs around the building, but still he sees no one. He’s starting to feel unsettled as he heads into the cafeteria-

“Oh, a new face!” He turns around and sees a kindly-looking woman in a wheelchair. She’s missing both legs, and the slight grey colouring a few strands of her hair alongside the lines around her eyes betray a few extra years than her physique tells him.

“Excuse me, miss? Where is everyone?” She laughs, covering her mouth daintily. Uta doesn’t understand what is so funny, but waits for her to calm down.

“Oh my, no one’s called me ‘miss’ for at least twenty years. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s not what you wanted to hear, it’s just nice to hear that.”

“That’s alright, but can you tell me where everyone is? The place is deserted.”

“Oh I imagine that it’s quite busy around you.” The lady says, a small smile gracing her face.

“Excuse me?” She points at him and he looks down, eyes widening at the red dripping down his shirt and pants. He lifts his shirt, sees a small hole in his abdomen where blood oozes out.

“ _What the fuck-_ “

“Don’t panic!” He looks up, ready to do just that because he is bleeding from a god damned hole in his stomach, but the lady levels him with a stern expression, much like how Tsumugi often does, so he takes a deep breath.

“You’re still bleeding, and that’s a good thing.”

“ _How_ is me _bleeding_ a good thing?”

“It means you’re still alive.”

“Alive? What are you talking about?” The lady lifts her shirt a bit, and Uta lays eyes on several thin, open wounds. Open wounds, but no blood.

“I was stabbed to death. Died in this hospital. My name is Aura Kiyoko.”

“Yamagata Uta.” He still doesn’t quite understand what’s going on, his brain is struggling to wrap around it, because while he is bleeding (quite a lot), he feels no pain, no dizziness, and he can stand and walk quite well, he thinks as he follows her when she suddenly begins wheeling herself out of the cafeteria.

“What is this?” He asks, trying to piece together what facts he has. There aren’t many.

“Who knows? All I know is that I’m dead, but while anyone who suffers from what is killing them still got a chance. You can start panicking when you stop bleeding. What’s the last thing you remember?” Start panicking when he stops bleeding, he nearly laughs. It’s the other way around, really.

“I was going to get a cup of coffee. My wife is a patient here. Visiting hours were almost over.”

“Is she sick?”

“No, she’s got an abusive uncle. He escaped from prison and found her again.” Kiyoko watches him from the corner of her eyes as they make their way down the corridors.

“She’s going to be discharged tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but there must be more.” Uta understands what she means, and she is right. The coffee, there must be something he doesn’t remember after getting it, because he is quite sure he had a cup of coffee in his hands before he ended up wherever this place is. He is also pretty sure he should be remembering getting wounded. He hears vague whispers in the air, some louder than others, like they are far away, but he recognizes the voice.

“Uta!” Rei sounds so scared, nearly hysterical, and he feels ice settle in his veins. Is she here too? If so, how, why? And who’s with Chouko? He takes off running, ignoring Kiyoko’s surprised yell. He rounds the corner, sees the coffee machine he had gotten the beverage from, and stops short when he sees the large pool of blood on the floor. This is where he regained consciousness, isn’t it? So does that mean that this pool of blood is his?

“Yamagata-san!” HE hears Kiyoko roll up beside him. “Why did you take off?”

“Don’t you hear it? The whisper-screams?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear anything. I haven’t heard much since I died, really.” Uta wonders if it’s just a vivid memory of his, since Kiyoko apparently can’t hear anything, if it’s something connected to what happened to him. He walks over to the blood pool and dips his fingers in it. It’s weird, running his fingers through such a vast pool of blood that is his own, and still be standing over it.

_‘I’ve never heard Rei sound like that.’_ He thinks. A rather eerie thought, since he’s known her all his life, been with her through her best and when she was at her worst. Though, of course, he’s never fallen over in front of her because he-

“The bastard shot me.” Uta mutters, brows furrowing as he remembers. It’s a bit foggy, but he remembers Rei coming down the hall, looking scared out of her wits, terrified, and _that_ man. Then pain, and dizziness and then watching the lights flicker as he’s brought down the halls on something running rather quickly, a gurney, most likely.

“Fuck, he shot me.” He pulls up his shirt again, to see that the blood is still steadily flowing from his wound. Considering how much has been lost, Uta’s surprised he’s still standing, even more so that he’s not feeling any effects. He thinks that’s even more terrifying, because he doesn’t know the state of his body. He doesn’t even know _where_ or _what_ this place is, he doesn’t know what’s happening to Rei either.

_“The fucker shot me.”_ He remembers Rei hovering over him, talking to someone. Perhaps someone saw or heard the commotion and came to help? Rei might be fine, she might be safe. But there’s no way for him to know, and that is the worst part. And he knows her well enough to know that she is panicking, knows her mind well enough to know that she might, right now, be thinking that this is all her fault, and he can’t tell her it’s not, because he is most likely dying right now. That’s an odd thought. He is dying, isn’t he? Is this limbo, or that after-life people talk about?

“You okay?” Kiyoko asks as Uta leans against the wall and slumps.

“Not really, no. I got shot, and I have no way of knowing if Rei’s alright.” Kiyoko nods, turning her wheelchair around.

“Understandable. I was no better when I first came here. But there’s still a chance for your survival still. How about we walk around for a bit? Might help you get your thoughts together.” Uta shakes his head, and otherwise he does not move.

“I think I’ll just stay here for a while, if that’s okay?” Not that he’s going to get up right now no matter what she says. Kiyoko just gives him a small smile in understanding before she wheels herself away.

“If you want company, come back to the cafeteria.” She says in parting. Uta is starting to wonder if he’s perhaps doomed to stay here forever. He doesn1t know too much about the physical state of a body, but being shot is never good, also, he’s bleeding a whole lot, and that he knows for a fact isn’t good. Is Rei okay? Is Chouko safe? How much time has passed since he was shot? Is the man apprehended again? Is Renji with them? He leans back, head falling against the wall as he exhales. Uta feels frustration well up in him. This isn’t how life is supposed to be. That man is supposed to be a closed chapter, someone who they’d never see or hear from again. He certainly wasn’t supposed to come and hit his little girl, then beat up his wife within an inch of her life, then shoot Uta.

He stands up, because wallowing in self-pity, no matter how attractive the prospect is, isn’t productive. All he can do is wait, apparently, but even so, he will not wallow in self-pity. Kiyoko cannot be the only one here, right?

But no matter how much he searches, he can’t find anyone, so he moves back towards the cafeteria, hearing voices. Uta speeds up, jogs inside only to stop short at the sight of the woman standing in front of Kiyoko. It’s weird, seeing her stand up and not lie in bed or sit in a wheelchair.

“Mother?” The woman turns around, eyes wide, and then she runs towards him, embracing him tightly. That, too, is something he’s never experienced before.

“Uta!”

“What… what are you doing here?” He asks, brain not wanting to come to the only conclusion that is the truth. She pulls back to look at him, a small smile passing her features.

“It’s a bit too early for you to be in such a place, don’t you think, Uta? Rei-san is so worried about you.”

“I don’t know how to get out.” He answers, thinking that this is all wrong, this is so wrong it’s not even remotely funny anymore.

“You will, I believe. You’re not supposed to be here. You have to wake up, Uta.” He feels a pull, and grabs onto her hands. Whatever is pulling him, maybe it will bring along his mother if he just holds on hard enough?

“You’re not supposed to be here either!”

“I saw mother.” Honoka says, grinning. “You’re right, she is spry for a lady pushing eighty.” It feels like the floor is disappearing beneath his feet and he hates it.

“Can you forgive me? For leaving? I’ve always regretted it, even though I knew you were better off with mother.”

“There’s never been anything to forgive, so come with me!”

“One of my happiest memories is when Souta brought you to Kyoto.”

“Mo-“ Everything goes black, and Uta feels like he’s floating. It’s unsettling, and he doesn’t like it, though this too, fades.


	8. Chapter 8

When Uta opens his eyes next, he sees a white ceiling, and hears the beeping of a machine. He blinks, squinting against the bright light. He turns his head slowly, trying not to wince at the stiffness of his own body. He sees a second bed, Rei and Chouko curled up on it, sleeping soundly. At the very least they are both safe and sound, and now he knows that for a fact.

“Welcome back.” He turns back around and sees Tsumugi sitting with a cloth and a needle.

“Granny.” He greets quietly. His throat feels raw, but he reckons that’s just a testament to what his body has been through in such a short time. He wonders how long he’s been under, how long whatever surgery he had was, how long he’s been laying on this bed, probably looking like something the cat dragged in. Perhaps it’s best to focus on other things, since he still feels like his mind is reeling with whatever near-death fantasy his brain cooked up while he was under.

“What kind of idiot walks _towards_ a man with a gun?” Ah, there it is. Tsumugi had looked so worried for a moment that he had almost believed this to be a dream too, despite the discomfort and jolts of pain he feels. A comforting thought, to know that this is reality.

“I didn’t see the gun.” He tells her, and thinks ‘ _to hell with it’_ and asks for how long he was out. He has always been a curious fellow.

“Two days.” Tsumugi looks tired, and Uta stares at her for a few moments, thinking back to that abandoned and hollow hospital he had wandered in his dream.

“Mother is dead, isn’t she?” Tsumugi startles, surprised by his question, but then she nods, shoulders sagging heavily.

“Yes, while you were in surgery. Her heart gave up.”

“I see… How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine.” Tsumugi croaks. It’s an obvious lie. “What about you?” How do you feel after having such news dumped on you in your sorry state, goes unsaid, but heard nonetheless.

“I…” Uta says quietly, moving one arm to grab hold of Tsumugi’s hand, closing his eyes. “I don’t feel great.” He admits. Tsumugi squeezes his hand back, not saying anything. She has no words of comfort, because while she does feel for Uta who lost the mother he just managed to find again, she just lost her daughter, the daughter she hasn’t seen for thirty years. When she finally managed to find it in herself to see the woman, she only just managed to catch her in her last moments. There’s a rustle from the other bed and they turn to see Rei carefully sit up. She smiles in relief when she sees that Uta is awake, and slips out of the bed, grabbing his free hand once she has made her way over.

“Hi.” She doesn’t answer. She just bites her lower lip in an attempt at staving off another waterfall. “Are you okay?” She huffs out a bitter laugh.

“Idiot.” Her voice wavers, cracking with tears. “I’m not the one laying in a hospital bed this time.”

“You’re right.” Uta cedes. “How do I look?”

“Like a truck ran you over, backed up and ran over you again.”

“Ouch. Do you still love me, even if I’m not a handsome devil anymore?” He tries to keep the atmosphere light, just to avoid her breaking out into tears again, because she looks like she’s on the verge of succumbing to the temptation of bawling her eyes out. And it works.

“I’d love you even if you looked like Chucky.”

“Now that is messed up.” Chouko makes a sound and shifts, but doesn’t wake up. Uta doesn’t know what time it is, but he does understand that too much has been going on for her.

“Renji-kun?”

“He had to go back home, something with his nephew came up, but he was happy to hear you were going to be alright.” Uta nods.

“Did the police get him?” He asks quietly.

“The man’s braindead.” The way Rei utters the words, so easily and with relief coating her voice, makes Uta raise a brow.” “Brain aneurysm. I pushed him, and he hit his head on the wall.” She explains.

“Oh.” In other words, they are finally rid of him, and don’t have to worry about him ever again. This time for sure. He feels tired, and his grip on her hand eases up. He struggles with keeping his eyes open.

“You’re still tired.” He hears Rei say. “Sleep some more.” He’s out before she finishes her sentence. When he comes to again, Chouko’s sitting by his bedside, arms crossed and brows furrowed. He blinks.

“I expected a smile, princess.” She shows him one for a fraction of a second , then she’s scowling again, and he knows he is in trouble. Rei and Tsumugi are nowhere in sight, so Uta guesses they’re either out for food or talking with a doctor.

“What’s wrong?”

“My dad is stupid, that’s what’s wrong.” While Uta is in no way shape or position to argue, it feels kind of harsh to be called an idiot by his own six-year old daughter. He’ll probably regret asking, but he asks anyways.

“What did I do now?”

“You tried being a hero! I don’t want a hero-dad, I just want to grow up with a dad!” He blinks, sees the frustration and fear etched across her face and sighs, moving to sit up a bit before he motions for her to climb up onto the bed.

“Mommy said I couldn’t.”

“Daddy says you can. Come on.” And Chouko climbs up, settling in the crook of his arm. It is a bit uncomfortable, but he toughs it out. Chouko needs support too, and it’s no big sacrifice on his part to be just a bit uncomfortable if it means his daughter feels safe. After all, she has already considered a possibility no one her age should have ever thought of, and he wonders if he didn’t do enough for her when Rei was the one in a hospital bed. Chouko has experienced a whole lot of stress, fear and anxiety lately, and she have been so brave.

“I’m sorry we worried you. But we’re not going anywhere.”

“Promise?” She asks quietly and he nods. “I promise.”

“Are you sad, daddy?”

“About what?” He hums.

“Grandma. She’s gone.” Right. Uta can’t say he’s indifferent about it. He’d grown fond of the woman, actually at some point he even began calling her ‘mother’, even though she didn’t raise him. She was a good woman who faced a tough choice and learned from prior experiences, someone who grabbed a new opportunity presented to her with as much grace, dignity and humility she could muster. Uta would have liked spending some more time with her.

But that’s not going to happen. Even so, he enjoys the thought of managing to spend some time with his brother and family again, once he is out of this infernal hospital gown.

“I’m sad about grandma, yes, but I still have uncle Souta, right?” Chouko smiles and snuggles closer, and Uta grits his teeth, attempting to hide the discomfort shooting through him. Thankfully the girl is so exhausted she falls asleep before she can notice. Rei returns, not long after, appearing a bit worried at the sight, but Uta waves his hand.

“She was scared, it’s alright.” He says quietly, and she nods, taking a seat beside the bed.

“I guess I should have kept a better eye on her and her feelings.”

“I probably should have too.”

“I can’t wait to get out of here. I want to go home.” Rei mutters and Uta nods.

“Me too.”

When Uta is finally released, it’s just in time for his mother’s funeral. It’s a beautiful ceremony, and Rei admires the way Tsumugi keeps such a straight back, so to say. She just found her daughter only to lose her again. It’s a sad thing to happen, and Rei cannot for the life of her shake the horrible feeling that it is somewhat her fault, because of her uncle. She also knows that if she tells Uta this, he will tell her that she is wrong, or worry that she’s going to break. Even so, she knows she must talk to him about it, or someone, before it does become too much.

So, the moment they’re all home, the moment they’ve set up appointments for all three of them and life returns to some semblance of normalcy, with Uta back at his shop to just look over the inventory and Chouko back at school, Rei calls Itori, and the redhead comes driving out to their little town in a manner Rei can’t exactly call safe.

“How is Donato-san?” Rei asks once they’re done exchanging pleasantries. “He’s not giving you too much work, is he?”

“Dona-san is a slave-driver.” Itori harrumphs. “But you didn’t call me to talk about him.” The redhead suddenly embraces Rei, so tight the light-haired woman can barely breathe.

“How are you? I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you!” Rei hugs the woman back, before pulling away.

“It’s okay. You did what you could from where you were, and that’s more than enough.” The redhead doesn’t seem too convinced, and Rei sighs.

“I’m worried I’m overthinking, and I need advice.”

“Go on.” Itori encourages her, and Rei motions for her friend to follow her. She doesn’t want Uta to walk into the conversation mid-way if he returns early, so the two women take a stroll out and down the street.

“Everything that’s happened lately…” Rei begins, wringing her hands as she walks, “I just… Uta finally got to meet his mother, and she was lovely. She was nice, welcoming, and so grateful to be able to spend time with us. But she was so sick and frail, and I’m worried that the cause of her heart giving out is all the bad things with my uncle. I’m so worried the stress is what caused it to happen. And I’m afraid of bringing it up with Uta.” Itori listens quietly, and mulls it over for a bit before answering.

“I can understand why you think this way, and I am happy that you’re able to speak to someone about it so soon, because it reassures some worries me and Ren-chan shared. Also, please don’t misunderstand me when I say this.” Rei nods, waiting.

“Don’t be stupid.” The green-eyes woman stares at Itori before sighing.

“I’m overreacting, I knew it.”

“I understand your worry, it makes sense, but it’s not your fault. You had no forewarning. If someone is to be blamed, it’s the people who didn’t warn you he was out, when you so clearly should have been. But you should talk to U-chan about it, because it’s him it concerns.” Rei nods, smiling at her friend. Deep down she knew this already, but it was reassuring having someone to talk to before she dives into it.

“Thank you, Itori-chan.”

“You’re welcome. Now, I want some quality drinks while I’m here, and I have to tell you about something!”

“It’s early afternoon.” Rei rolls her eyes as Itori exclaims that it is never too early to drink.

“Coffee shop.” Rei deadpans and Itori pouts, but doesn’t argue about it. At the coffee shop, Itori tells Rei the big news, about this handsome devil of a detective she’s met, and Rei’s happy to hear that her friend is dating someone.

“You always preached about fun being more important than work, but you’ve been married to your job for years.” Rei teases.

“My job is fun!” Itori protests. “Watching the fools lose their shit every time they’re going to lose? Priceless. And working with Dona-san makes it quite enjoyable.”

“Right.” Rei shakes her head. “So, how did you two meet?”

“Oh, you know, it was a normal occurrence.” Itori shrugs and Rei raises a brow.

“I eloped, fresh out of high school. I don’t know what ‘normal’ means. Did you spill coffee on him? Did you run into each other and knock each other over? Did he offer you his umbrella during a particularly rainy night?” Itori stares at her.

“How many romcoms have you watched lately?”

“It’s one of Uta’s many guilty pleasures. But don’t tell him I told you that.”

“That explains. A lot. Quite a lot. But no, nothing like that.”

“Then how?”

“Oh, you know.” Itori leans back in her seat, the most innocent grin on her face as she waves her hand. “He was chasing a criminal, and I tripped them over for him.” Rei stares. Now, she knows that Itori isn’t like everyone else, much like many in their group, so this tale is not at all a surprise to her, yet the rational part of her brain is screaming at her that this is not something normal.

“You what now?”

“It was quite interesting, really. He was just as flabbergasted when it happened as you are now. Naturally, I had him bring me out for a drink as thanks for my assistance.”

“Poor man, he doesn’t know what he’s brought upon himself.” Rei jokes and Itori narrows her eyes.

“I’m quite the catch, and you know it!”

“Yes, yes, I do. I’d like to meet this man, though. Why don’t you bring him out sometime? I’ll prepare dinner and it’ll just be me, Uta, you and your boyfriend.”

“Hira-chan isn’t very talkative, but I’m sure I can lure him out sometime.” Rei rubs a hand over her face as she laughs.

“Well, we could meet in Tokyo too? We’re heading in too, since Uta is worried about Tsumugi-san, and I am too, to be honest.” In this time, it’s best to all be together, and both of them agree on that.

“If you want, I can check up on her on my way back?” Itori asks and Rei nods.

“I’d be thankful for that.”

“And you just need to talk to U-chan, okay?” Rei nods again, promising to do so the moment she can. And when Chouko is put to bed that evening, dropped into dreamland by another bizarre bedtime story by her father, Rei waits on the couch for him. He drops down beside her with a sigh, and she turns her head. She wonders how she should start, whether or not she should ask how he is feeling, though she knows he’ll most likely assure her he’s feeling fine even if he isn’t, because he doesn’t want to worry her. She can ask how he’s holding up, and he’ll probably tell her he’ll be fine, and that is just him brushing it off so as not to burden her either. She almost wished they lived in a world where they fought for their survival every day, so he wouldn’t be so careful with her anymore.

So instead she says this.

“I’m sorry about Honoka-san.” He blinks, looks very surprised, before it softens out into a small smile. He nods and crosses his arms over his stomach, sinking into his seat.

“I am too.”

“It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?” He nods again. Rei knows how it’s like, so she sinks in her seat too, until she is eye-level with him.

“She was a nice person.” A third nod. She doesn’t quite know what else to say, because he isn’t saying anything, so she nudges him with her shoulder, hoping this one thing she wanted when she lost her father will help him.

“If you want to talk, I am here. If you just want a hug, I am here. You know that right, Uta? That I’m here for you?” He looks at her then, and shuffles closer, lets his head rest on her shoulder. And that’s all she needs to know. He isn’t blaming her for anything, and he wants her there.

“Yeah. Yeah I know. Thanks, Rei.” She nods, reaching out to brush her hands through his hair in a soothing gesture.

They’ll get through this, too. 


End file.
